Review: Shadow War Alpha #1 One Shot

Another month and another round of Bat-events. This time, this mini event encompasses not just Batman, but also features Robin, Talia, Ra’s and Deathstroke. Yes, after reshaping Gotham, the next arc has the potential to bring back the Dynamic Duo itself!

Ra’s al Ghul is dying. Too many dips into the Lazarus Pit have left him slightly weakened and slight bonkers. Now, finally arrested, Ra’s is waiting for his day in court. Yet nothing runs so smoothly in Gotham, as someone looks to assassinate said Demon’s Head. This puts Deathstroke squarely in the hole, with the whole watching.

Joshua Williamson has been going about doing his best work with the fun Robin book and possible espionage. It makes sense then, at some point, his two books were going to lock horns. In doing so Williamson has looked to shore up some of the issues that exist between Bruce and Damian. OF course Bruce being Bruce means that he screws it up. Williamson also portrays a more likeable Talia that we may have seen previously. Is that there a character that is more bipolar than Talia? The only thing that is consistent about her is that her personality is so inconsistent! There is an air of mystery to proceedings that is necessary to elongate the story.

The art is provided by Viktor Bogdanovic supplies the art in a pseudo Capello style that has been impressing fans for a little while now. There is a weight to Bogdanove’s work that impresses; he can go from bold postures for Batman, to show a slinky Talia and Robin, who despites his ongoing years, still carries with him a boyish charm. Camera angles work well, in all areas keeping the action pacey and the conversation panels focused. With help from Danny Henriques on inks, the characters dominate, glide and otherwise have their presence elevate. The brevity of the book is shaped in part by the excellent colors from Mike Spicer. The letters, supplied by Troy Peteri, are snappy, fresh and don’t detract from the pencils. What more could you want?

For a first issue in an event, this book is off to a great start, especially impressive is the lack of any real need to read Robin or Deathstroke to get caught up. However, you must be at least partly familiar with City of Bane in order to recognise one particular stumbling block!

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors 5 – Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Joshua Williamson
Art by; Viktor Bogdanove
Inks by; Viktor Bogdanove & Danny Henriques
Colors by; Mike Spicer
Letters by; Troy Peteri
Published by; DC Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network